New Bruce – more jingoism but slightly better artwork

Published On: January 19, 2012 - 10:43 am

Springsteen, posing in front of what is probably not his home.

Bruce Springsteen’s Wrecking Ball release date announced

Columbia Records will release Bruce Springsteen’s new album Wrecking Ball March 6. His 17th studio album, Wrecking Ball features 11 new songs and was produced by Ron Aniello with Bruce Springsteen and executive producer Jon Landau. A special edition of ‘Wrecking Ball’ will also be available and include two bonus tracks and exclusive artwork and photography.

Wrecking Ball tracklisting:

1. We Take Care of Our Own
2. Easy Money
3. Shackled and Drawn
4. Jack of All Trades
5. Death to My Hometown
6. This Depression
7. Wrecking Ball
8. You’ve Got It
9. Rocky Ground
10. Land of Hope and Dreams
11. We Are Alive

According to a press release, long-time manager Landau says “Bruce has dug down as deep as he can to come up with this vision of modern life. The lyrics tell a story you can’t hear anywhere else and the music is his most innovative of recent years. The writing is some of the best of his career and both veteran fans and those who are new to Bruce will find much to love on Wrecking Ball.” Yeah, right. No North American dates have been released, but European dates are posted on www.brucespringsteen.net.

That may be the case, but this writer certainly is not impressed by the generic, jingoistic (“Wherever this flag’s flown”) opener, “We Take Care of Our Own” (streaming now at http://www.brucespringsteen.net). There is one hopeful note, however; as bad as it is, Wrecking Ball‘s cover is still leagues better than that for 2009’s Working On a Dream.